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Plestiodon Skiltonianus) in the Okanagan Region Of MICROHABITAT SELECTION OF THE WESTERN SKINK (PLESTIODON SKILTONIANUS) IN THE OKANAGAN REGION OF BRITISH COLUMBIA by Elizabeth Vincer B.E.S., University of Waterloo, 2009 Research Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Resource Management in the School of Resource and Environmental Management Faculty of Environment © Elizabeth Vincer 2012 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY Fall 2012 Approval Name: Elizabeth Vincer Degree: Master of Resource Management Project Number: 563 Title of Thesis: Microhabitat selection of the Western skink (Plestiodon skiltonianus) in the Okanagan region of British Columbia Examining Committee: Chair: Rachel White Master of Resource Management, School of Resource and Environmental Management, Simon Fraser University Dr. Ken Lertzman Senior Supervisor, Professor, School of Resource and Environmental Management Simon Fraser University Dr. Christine Bishop Supervisor, Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University Date Defended/Approved: November 28, 2012 ii Partial Copyright Licence The author, whose copyright is declared on the title page of this work, has granted to Simon Fraser University the right to lend this thesis, project or extended essay to users of the Simon Fraser University Library, and to make partial or single copies only for such users or in response to a request from the library of any other university, or other educational institution, on its own behalf or for one of its users. The author has further granted permission to Simon Fraser University to keep or make a digital copy for use in its circulating collection (currently available to the public at the “Institutional Repository” link of the SFU Library website (www.lib.sfu.ca) at http://summit/sfu.ca and, without changing the content, to translate the thesis/project or extended essays, if technically possible, to any medium or format for the purpose of preservation of the digital work. The author has further agreed that permission for multiple copying of this work for scholarly purposes may be granted by either the author or the Dean of Graduate Studies. It is understood that copying or publication of this work for financial gain shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission. Permission for public performance, or limited permission for private scholarly use, of any multimedia materials forming part of this work, may have been granted by the author. This information may be found on the separately catalogued multimedia material and in the signed Partial Copyright Licence. While licensing SFU to permit the above uses, the author retains copyright in the thesis, project or extended essays, including the right to change the work for subsequent purposes, including editing and publishing the work in whole or in part, and licensing other parties, as the author may desire. The original Partial Copyright Licence attesting to these terms, and signed by this author, may be found in the original bound copy of this work, retained in the Simon Fraser University Archive. Simon Fraser University Library Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada revised Fall 2011 Partial Copyright License iii Abstract Understanding microhabitat features is an important aspect of managing for the persistence of reptile species. The Western skink (Plestiodon skiltonianus, formerly Eumeces skiltonianus) is an at-risk lizard species in B.C. Very little information on the habitat requirements of this species is known, which hinders federal and provincial management planning efforts. Microhabitat variables were measured at a study site in Vaseux-Bighorn National Wildlife Area, and microsites used by skinks were compared to randomly located microsites within the individual’s home range. Principle Components Analysis and paired Logistic Regression models showed that the best microhabitat predictors for skink presence were thickness of rocks and percentage of rock cover within a 1m area of the sighting location. Thermal profile analysis indicated P. skiltonianus used rocks that maintained a cooler daily maximum temperature. Future research should focus on further describing habitat selection at several spatial scales and clarifying the distribution of the species in B.C. Keywords: Plestiodon skiltonianus; Western skink; species at risk; microhabitat selection; thermal profile iv Acknowledgements First and foremost, this project is dedicated to the Western skink, the species that has fascinated and inspired me throughout this entire process. I have dedicated the past three years of my life to finding you, measuring you, and writing about you. My only wish is that you continue to persist in this country long after I have disappeared. An enormous amount of appreciation goes to Orville Dyer and Mike Sarrell. Your passion for, and knowledge of, the Western skink and all Species at Risk gave me a solid platform for which to base my research. I would also like to thank Jakob Dulisse for his work on skinks in the Kootenays and his advice to me about how to collect information on this species in the field. The field assistance, advice and hard work of Lisa Rockwell helped to make this project possible. Your experience was invaluable to me that summer in the Okanagan, and I am forever grateful for your help and guidance. Thank you to my other volunteer field assistants for data collection and moral support: Matt Huntley, Mike Boyd, Brittany Wilmot and Darwin Allen. Scaling cliffs in the summer heat to find lizards builds character. My summer fieldwork was funded in part by NSERC, Environment Canada and SFU scholarships. My supervisors Dr. Ken Lertzman and Dr. Christine Bishop provided excellent advice to me on this project. Your encouragement and support is much appreciated. Thank you to Isabelle Groc and Mike McKinley for helping to raise public awareness about the skink. Your interest and enthusiasm helped to remind me why I chose the skink as my study species. May the special beauty of this species continue to enchant others through your work. v Finally, I thank my family and friends. Thank you to my mom Kathy and my sister Charlotte for letting go and being supportive of me moving across the country to pursue my dream of a master’s degree on the west coast. You can finally stop asking when my thesis will be finished. Thank you to my entire cohort of REM friends for the wonderful times we have shared during our journey to complete our degree: let’s change the world. “In wildness is the preservation of the world” ‒ Henry David Thoreau vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Approval .................................................................................................... ii Partial Copyright License ........................................................................ iii Abstract .................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgements .................................................................................. v List of Figures .......................................................................................... ix List of Tables ............................................................................................. x Glossary ................................................................................................... xi 1: Introduction ........................................................................................... 1 1.1 Habitat Selection .............................................................................................................. 4 1.3 Distribution and Habitat .................................................................................................... 6 1.4 Species Description .......................................................................................................... 7 1.5 Study Objectives ..............................................................................................................10 2: Materials and Methods ....................................................................... 11 2.1 Study Site Description .....................................................................................................11 2.2 Habitat Suitability Model ..................................................................................................12 2.3 Field Surveys ...................................................................................................................14 2.4 Structural Habitat Measurements ....................................................................................16 2.5 Thermal Profiles ..............................................................................................................18 2.6 Statistical Analyses ..........................................................................................................19 3: Results ................................................................................................ 21 3.1 Search Effort and Sightings .............................................................................................21 3.2 Thermal Profiles ..............................................................................................................23 3.3 Microhabitat Selection .....................................................................................................27 4: Discussion .......................................................................................... 32 4.1 Microhabitat Selection .....................................................................................................32
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